TB cases in Central Visayas down in 2008

CEBU, Philippines – Figures given by Department of Health regional project director Dr. Enrique Sancho show tuberculosis figures dropped last year.

Sancho said that this is just even for the smear positive cases which is highly infectious than the smear negative cases.

There are at least 4,000 to 6,000 reported cases of TB per year in the region.

But the number of TB cases in the region has decreased over the years according to the statistics. In 2007, smear positive cases reached 6,011, but in 2008 it went down to 4,375, while smear negative cases went down to 2,087 from 3,269 last year.

However Sancho said that they are targeting to reduce the number by 85 percent in Central Visayas.

Sancho stated that it is very important to foresee early signs of TB so that it can be given proper attention and cure.

He mentioned that half of those who are diagnosed with TB but still disregard the medicines and do not give attention to their ailment die within two years.

The other 30 percent have very high possibility of infecting others and the other 20 percent heal spontaneously.

Sancho, however, said that those who follow the advice of their doctors and take their medications regularly may be cured after six months.

He stated that symptoms like coughing with phlegm and blood, fever during afternoon and weight loss are among the signs of TB and should not be taken for granted.

Sancho also said that TB is an urban disease because of the living conditions we have.

Dr. Grace Melchor of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center said that medicines for positively diagnosed TB cases are free but they see to it that they screen patients because they want to give the medicine to those who badly need it. — AJ de la Torre/BRP (THE FREEMAN)